Secret of the Princess
by JediMasterDarjaak
Summary: After losing her hand to the samurai leader Asano, San learns he is her father. Not only that, she must kill him to regain her lost limb. Forgotten people return as the finale appraches. Also, Ashitaka's past is revealed.
1. Default Chapter

2 years have passed since Iron Town fell. But not everything has been settled yet.  
  
Secret of the Princess  
  
The smell of the recently re-constructed ironworks that gave Iron Town its characteristic name wafted over the air. It was two years after the Great Forest Spirit had been shot by a monk attempting to receive a fortune off the emperor. The forest was restored totally, but at a severe cost. The wolf god Moro and the boar god Okkoto had both perished, and more people knew of some of the lands' most highly valued secrets. A young man sat in his home, built in a corner of Iron Town so as to be away from others. Ashitaka, last prince of the Imishi people to the far west, had been helping rebuild the town ever since it's near-destruction. He had befriended the wolf-girl San, also called Princess Mononoke, and found a way to undo his curse and save everyone with a minimal loss of blood.  
  
It was dawn, and Ashitaka finished putting the saddle onto his loyal red elk, Yakkuru. Every so often, he would put his work in Iron Town on hold, and visit the forest to see his friend San. She bore an unremitting hatred for humans, but Ashitaka was an exception, even though their friendship had started with her trying to kill him. As he passed through a side-gate, he looked around at the dark sky. Another half an hour and the sun would be up totally. He gently dug his heels in Yakkuru's side, encouraging the elk to go into an all out run. He and San always met high up on the mountainside near the town. This was as far as she'd get to civilisation before adamantly refusing to go further. Ashitaka rode on in silence, glancing at the re-growing forest. Young saplings were very much in evidence, and fresh, lush green grass was enough to tempt even Yakkuru. Even after the Great Forest Spirit had restored the forests, this part remained comparatively bare. It had been bare before Ashitaka had arrived that day two years ago, carrying two survivors from an accident in the mountains. Apes constantly worked to replant the trees, and at long last, some vestige of greenery was returning to the land. Ashitaka dismounted and looked around for San. It wasn't unusual for her to hide and then jump out on him. He saw her out of the corner of his eye, and ran to intercept her. Suddenly he found himself falling, no pain instantly recognisable, but pain nevertheless. He fell into a hole about two feet deep, twisting his ankle badly. He gave a short gasp of pain and tried to push himself out of the hole in the ground. It was then that San appeared. She wore much the same clothing she had two years ago, and still carried three crimson markings on her face. Two white wolves, Moro's last surviving kin, were accompanying her. She saw Ashitaka had fallen, and went to help him. Despite the seriousness of the situation, she couldn't help but smile.  
  
"Ashitaka, whilst I might be friends with a lot of animals, it doesn't mean I'll live underground THAT willingly. You of all people should know I take a lot of persuasion."  
  
Ashitaka smiled up at her. Although he had more than his fair share of admirers in Iron Town, San was the only girl he had eyes for. He couldn't put his hand on his heart and say what one feature of hers he liked the best, whether it was her strong personality, her feral beauty, her toughness, her stubbornness or anything else, but he loved her hugely for who she was. She pushed up his trouser leg to look at his ankle. Ashitaka winced. Although San hadn't meant to harm him in a long time, she tended to think everyone was as tough as she was. She glanced at the red, swollen ankle and shook her head.  
  
"Well, you've certainly done yourself quite a bit of harm. But it's not broken. A day or two of rest and you should be fine. Although I'd be more than happy to take you and Yakkuru in for a few days. What do you say?"  
  
Ashitaka smiled despite his hurting ankle. San offered him her hand, and Ashitaka took it. He looked into San's eyes, and smiled as he stood up, favouring his uninjured foot. He mounted Yakkuru, who had been sniffing noses with San's wolf brothers. San led the way back up to the depths of the forest, where Moro had dwelt when she was alive. She sometimes missed her adopted mother, but if Moro had taught her anything, it was that life and death complimented one another. For every up there would be a down, and if Ashitaka was the up following Moro's death, then she had little cause to grieve, even though he lived in the human town.  
  
After an hour or so of travelling, they neared the cave where San and her wolf brothers lived. Ashitaka smiled on entering. Although his home in Iron Town was very nice, nothing could compare to what San's simple cave offered. Here, there was something that truly fit in with his life. He felt comfortable here, and not just because of the fact it was a very appealing cave. There was something in the air here that strongly appealed to him. He sat down on the floor, looking out across the forest. It had been here, two years ago, where he had rested after the Great Forest Spirit had healed him 


	2. Secret of the Princess 2

Secret of the Princess  
  
Chapter 2  
  
San awoke just as the sun crested the horizon. Her two wolf brothers were absent, suggesting they were out hunting. She stretched slightly, and looked to where Ashitaka lay. In spite of her efforts of control, she smiled. Although his way of resolving conflict had been to kill as few things as possible, she had always trusted him, even when he had tried to save Eboshi in front of her very eyes. She would have normally leapt on the opportunity to rip out Eboshi's jugular, but some part of her and told her that Ashitaka knew what he was doing. Even still, she had voiced that she wasn't certain of Ashitaka's motives. She leant over him, a warm smile on her features. Just as she leant down to his cheek, which seemed extremely appealing at that point in time, something told her to look behind her. She whirled around to see her brothers stood there. Although wolves couldn't smile the way humans could, she could swear they were smiling at what she'd been about to do. She blushed somewhat, then Ashitaka awoke. He stretched, his hand brushing San's cheek as he did so. San went scarlet, and scurried backwards. Ashitaka came awake instantly and looked at her. San gave a small smile.  
  
"Morning Ashitaka. You ready to go hunting?"  
  
Ashitaka got up with a little effort. He walked to the cave entrance without showing any signs of how his foot hurt. He sat on a rock outside the cave, and inspected his hurt foot. All there was now was a red mark that was a bit tender to touch. He looked back at San and her wolf brothers, and nodded. San loved hunting with him more than anything. Soon the four of them were headed to a meadow deep in the forest, where deer grazed in large numbers. Since only San, her brothers and one or two other predators killed them, the deer continued to feed there even after one of their number was killed. From San's home, it was about four hours walking, two hours if they both rode the wolves. Ashitaka strung his bow and checked his quiver, and then nodded to San. San had donned her demon mask and wolf pelt cloak, and mounted one of her brothers. Ashitaka got up on the other, and they started off on the trail that led to the meadow.  
  
Two hours later, the meadow first came into sight. As expected, there were deer there, but not nearly as many as they'd first thought. Normally the place was packed with deer eating the lush grass and tender new shoots. Today there were only about thirty or so. San frowned as they got to the edge of the clearing.  
  
"Now that is really strange. Last time we came here, there must have been four or five times as many. Why are there so few now?"  
  
Ashitaka looked into the meadow carefully.  
  
"Well, we came this far San. Shall we still go ahead and get a deer?"  
  
San looked uncomfortable, but nodded after some deliberation.  
  
"Well, alright, we could use the food. Aim for a medium sized one Ashitaka. We'll use our old strategy to get their attention. Here goes."  
  
Ashitaka grabbed her arm.  
  
"Wait San."  
  
San looked at him, a trace of irritation on her features.  
  
"What is it?"  
  
He pulled her in close and pressed his lips over hers. San was surprised to say the least, but returned the kiss nevertheless. She broke the embrace first, smiling warmly. Ashitaka smiled and put a hand on her shoulder.  
  
"Kiss for luck."  
  
San stared into his eyes for a few seconds, and then went into the long grass. Ashitaka watched as the two wolves slunk off into the gloom of the forest, only visible every now and then. He knew where San was by now; on the other side of the clearing. He notched an arrow onto his bow and took aim for a promising looking target. Both of the wolves emerged from the woods, catching the attention of the deer. Already they looked panicky. San dashed past, relying on her wolf pelt to hide the fact she was a human. Ashitaka gave a short wolf howl to tell San to get down flat, then released his arrow. It flew straight into the neck of a luckless deer, making it give a high-pitched groan of pain. He notched a second arrow to his bow in order to kill the animal in a quick and painless way. Suddenly came the sound of samurai war cries. From the hill above the meadow came perhaps fifteen samurai, each wearing traditional armour and carrying either a curved katana or a longbow. Ashitaka quickly weighed up the odds. The samurai had horses and metal weaponry. On his side he had San and the two wolves. Doubtlessly San would want to fight; indeed, he couldn't imagine her NOT wanting to fight human interlopers in her forest. But being outnumbered nearly 4 to 1 never boded well for anybody. Before he could fire the arrow at the nearest samurai, San arose from the grass, her knife in her hand. The deer stampeded away, leaving the injured one to die. The two wolves leapt at the rearmost riders and tore into them. Ashitaka let fly with his arrow, noting it embedded itself deep in the neck of the leader. The other samurai were recovering from their shock of being ambushed and were fighting better, but all they managed to land was one or two cuts on the wolves. In a remarkably short time, only two samurai were left in any state to fight. Ashitaka dispatched those still alive, and San addressed the remaining warriors.  
  
"Listen carefully. We've spared you as messengers. Tell your leader to stay out of this forest unless he wants to risk the wrath of Princess Mononoke. Next time you venture here, you won't be so lucky. Now go before we turn you into vulture food."  
  
The two samurai rode off instantly. San looked at the corpses of the dead samurai.  
  
"Why are they coming into the forest in such numbers? Three or four and it could just be people passing through, but fifteen? Looked more like a scouting party to me."  
  
Ashitaka was ridding the dead men of their quivers of arrows. Suddenly he stopped, and removed a flag from the grip of a dead samurai.  
  
"San, you know whose symbol this is?"  
  
San looked at it and shook her head. It was a white flag with four red spots.  
  
"It's the symbol of Lord Asano." 


	3. Secret of the Princess 3

Secret of the Princess  
  
Chapter 3  
  
San's eyes narrowed as they prepared the dead deer for carrying back to her home. Ashitaka was cutting the meat up for carrying. Nearby, San's wolf brothers were sharing a portion of the meat between them. Soon, the deer carcass was ready to be carried. Ashitaka and San shouldered the pole and began the long trek home. Ashitaka filled her in on exactly what had happened at Iron Town.  
  
"A samurai warlord named Asano besieged Iron Town just before the disaster happened. As the Great Forest Spirit searched for his head, Asano's men retreated and weren't heard from again, at least until now."  
  
San shifted the pole from one shoulder to another.  
  
"Why do you suppose he's come back now? Surely his defeat didn't sting that much did it?"  
  
Ashitaka shrugged.  
  
"Maybe it did, maybe it didn't. But we should be careful anyway. Oh, and one more thing. We'd best keep this out of Yakkuru's sight."  
  
San smiled a bit.  
  
"Not a bad idea."  
  
It was late at night when finally they got home. Both San and Ashitaka were exhausted, and put the meat in a side-cave that was permanently cold. They then washed off the bloodstains from themselves and stumbled into the cave, totally exhausted. Ashitaka lay down on his bed, but before he could quite drift off, San lay down beside him, obviously wanting his company for the night. Ashitaka smiled and put an arm around her, falling asleep as he hugged his feral, forest princess to him. Outside, the two wolves finished their food and joined them.  
  
The next morning, Ashitaka was the first to wake. It was already past sunrise, but it hadn't been day for long. He sighed as he looked at San. Today he would be going back to Iron Town. Although she would willingly go as far as the slope leading down to the town, she refused to go any further. Ashitaka stretched, and went to saddle Yakkuru. The two wolves were fast asleep, stirring only slightly as Ashitaka petted them. San began to move in her sleep, and when she discovered Ashitaka wasn't there, awoke instantly. She looked around, slightly panicky. She didn't want to miss his departure, and began to search for him. She saw him outside and gave a sad, resigned smile as he looked at her.  
  
"Off already? You know I wanted to come with you."  
  
Ashitaka paused as he arranged the saddlebags.  
  
"You're coming with me to our usual spot?"  
  
San nodded, feeling the backs of her eyes dampen. She knew she could always see him any time she wanted. If she went to a certain cliff over Iron Town and howled like a wolf four times, he'd get the message and come visit her the next day. But ever since he came into her life, she got lonesome without him. At first, it was just a nagging irritant that she could get rid of easily, but these days, it was like there was a small hole in her that no amount of food or anything could fill. Only Ashitaka could sate that pain in her heart. She ran up to him suddenly and hugged him.  
  
"You take care in that town now won't you Ashitaka?"  
  
Ashitaka was taken by surprise, but returned her embrace anyway.  
  
"Of course I will San. I'll be back when you see the crescent moon. I'll bring you some things as well, maybe a few eggs. I took some of that samurai equipment, and I'm going to sell it. Now smile for me San."  
  
San smiled at him and walked with him to their meeting spot. A circlet of green saplings marked where they waited for one another. Ashitaka rubbed her hair as he prepared to leave.  
  
"Until next time, my princess."  
  
San sighed as he rode down to the human town. Already she missed him. She tried to put her emotions behind her, and decided to go eat something. Their hunting foray had proven quite useful in terms of food. She'd still be eating venison in a week's time. Her brother's tended to go through anything quite fast, even though they hunted for themselves. On the way back, she failed to notice the footprints that had been left in the dirt. Suddenly, several things happened all at once. A cry went up, and San saw her brothers give chase to a batch of humans. As she ran forward, she tripped over a carefully laid rope and was snared in a net. Her steel dagger went flying out of her grip, and she was hoisted up into the trees. She writhed to get loose, but to no avail. After a few minutes, she was lowered down. The last thing she saw was a man walk up to her, and then darkness exploded inside her skull.  
  
Ashitaka returned to Iron Town to find another battle was being waged between the samurai and the villagers. Although they had no rifles, the samurai were lasting well. Ashitaka encouraged Yakkuru to stampede through the samurai and gain access to the fortress. Within minutes he was inside the town, and joined a friend of his, Koroku, in sniping at the attackers. It wasn't too long before the samurai attack group had lost a third of its strength. Iron Town's superior weaponry was clearly paying off. A second group of snipers came up to relieve the first, and Ashitaka finally got to return to his home. He set Yakkuru loose in the paddock built especially for him, and sat down in his bedroom. All he could think about was San. Had he been wrong to leave her? He soon shrugged that thought off. San had been living without human companionship for years, and she wasn't the type to cry simply because Ashitaka wouldn't be there for a week or two. In the end he simply fell asleep on his bed. 


	4. Secret of the Princess 4

Secret of the Princess  
  
Chapter 4  
  
San awoke with a terrible headache. She had recovered at long last, and her captors were caught by surprise. But even as she made to beat them to a pulp, she found she was tied down, her hands being pressed into the ground underneath her. Her legs were bound together above and below her knees, and her ankles were tied as well. Another rope was wrapped around her waist, and held in by stakes either side of her. She strained to feel any weakness in the ropes, but none came to light. A fury engulfed her as she tried to escape this trap. Derisive laughter greeted her vain efforts to get free, and she could see her captors. About seven samurai were squatted around a fire, roasting the deer meat she and Ashitaka had brought home. San grimaced as she continued to struggle.  
  
"Let me go, NOW, and I will make your deaths swift. I might even be tempted to spare your lives for the time being."  
  
The seven men laughed. It was late evening, and they'd had San hostage since the early morning. One of them leant over the captive forest girl.  
  
"You're very mouthy for somebody in your position, Princess Mononoke. We're here by order of Lord Asano. He wants to meet you personally."  
  
San spat in his face as he sneered at her.  
  
"Tell your warlord that the forest will not stand for this intrusion. Now cut me loose."  
  
The man she'd spat at gave her a look that would split a rock. Even San was unable to repress a shudder. He drew out a long blade and rested it over her neck. San's breathing became quick and shallow. The guy was starting to put pressure on the blade, drawing a trickle of blood from her neck. Suddenly, everyone's attention was caught by something in the bushes nearby.  
  
Ashitaka had been dozing most of the afternoon, so now that it was evening, he was wide-awake. Even still, the prospect of more sleep was appealing. He lay back on his bed again, and drifted off. As he dreamt, he could hear San's voice, a voice filled with anguish and despair. The forest wasn't being ripped apart, which was some relief. But from nowhere came a giant wolf, clearly neither of San's brothers. He gasped as he realised it was Moro, San's foster mother. She approached him, not showing anywhere near as much hostility as she had last time they spoke.  
  
"Ashitaka, we meet again."  
  
Ashitaka was silent. He bowed before Moro, drawing a hint of a smile from the wolf.  
  
"I've come to you to tell you of something unfolding in the forest. San is in trouble. But even if you leave now, you won't be able to help her."  
  
"Why can't I help her?"  
  
"Because she already has help in that area. No, I need you to go to the waterfall. That is where she will need your help."  
  
Ashitaka looked taken aback.  
  
"Do you trust me now Moro?"  
  
The wolf extended her smile.  
  
"In this form, even if I didn't trust you, could I do much about it? But to answer your question, yes, I do. You saved the forest."  
  
Ashitaka smiled.  
  
"Thanks Moro. Well, I'll be heading to the falls now."  
  
Ashitaka suddenly woke up. He knew instantly what he had to do when he got to the falls, and set about looking around for all the things he might need. A short time later, and he was riding for a waterfall deep in the forest.  
  
San glanced over to where a green glow was becoming apparent in the bushes. Soon, a veritable swarm of kodama, little tree spirits that often showed how healthy a forest was, rushed out in the form of a huge demonic monster. The seven samurai wasted no time in running away, panicked by the sight of such an entity. San couldn't help but smile. She'd been amazed by kodamas when she was younger, and had never had any trouble with them either. She watched as the green spirits came up to her, looking at her in their slightly baffled way. She strained to get free again, but had no luck. Immediately, they all began to pull on the ropes. In no time at all, San had been set free. She snapped the ropes holding her hands together, and rubbed her sore flesh, then turned to the kodamas.  
  
"I can't thank you all enough for what you've done. Now I must go. I hope I see you all again."  
  
The kodamas shook their heads and clicked in response as they walked away. San took up her dagger and spear, and then donned her wolf pelt and demon mask. She looked to the east, where a pall of smoke rose. She knew where it was coming from; a waterfall. She tightened her grip on her weapons and started to walk purposefully towards the column of smoke, mentally storing a picture of what the place looked like. Even though she had lived in the forest since she was a child, even she got lost on occasion.  
  
Ashitaka was making good time on Yakkuru, and guessed he'd reach the waterfall by either nightfall or early the next day. He knew the situation would have to be bad if Moro had come to warn him of San being in danger. He could still remember how hostile she'd been towards him whilst San was helping him recuperate after being shot. He looked up at the distant waterfall, and saw a column of smoke rising up from just to the right of the river that fed the waterfall. He urged Yakkuru into a run as the war cries of samurai thirsty for battle charged him. He could see they weren't wearing metallic armour, which was a blessing, but there were at least forty samurai. Arrows peppered the ground as their ranks closed in on him. 


	5. Secret of the Princess 5

Secret of the Princess  
  
Chapter 5  
  
San had made good time through the forest, and was getting closer and closer to the waterfall. She was close enough now to hear the roar of the water. It was about midday, and the birds normally resident all year around weren't in easy sight. Crickets chirruped, and small flying insects passed her by. She climbed a tree nearby and looked out onto the waterfall. Suddenly the sound of the water pouring over the edge was a lot louder. She could see a flat rocky area just above the river, but on the other side. San jumped down, and picked up her spear and checked her dagger was still on her. With fresh resolve and determination in her heart, she walked towards the river.  
  
Ashitaka held his sword ready as the samurai came at him. With a few well- placed strokes of the deadly blade, he had some down and out instantly. Suddenly, a blood-curdling snarl, followed by another, came from the woods behind him, and San's brothers ran out to help fight. Ashitaka fought with those posing an immediate threat to him, whilst the two wolves dealt a swift death to the remainder. In a remarkably short time, all of them were dead and gone. Ashitaka turned to the wolves, who were even now running towards the waterfall.  
  
"How come you knew where to find me?"  
  
One of the wolves stopped and looked back at Ashitaka.  
  
"Get on. I'll explain on the way."  
  
Ashitaka mounted the white-furred wolf, and held on as they caught up to San's other brother and ran deep into the forest. As they closed in on the waterfall, the wolves explained what they'd felt.  
  
"We were hunting near the cave not long after dawn. All of a sudden, we were visited by the spirit of our late mother, Moro. She said you would need help fighting some other humans. San is already in peril. We're going up to that waterfall to try to help her."  
  
Ashitaka nodded as the wolves related their story to him.  
  
"Moro told me to help her there as well. I just hope San hasn't gone and taken on all the samurai she can find."  
  
The two wolves smiled at the thought of San storming an unknown number of samurai. Ashitaka leant down as the roar of the waterfall got louder as they got closer to it.  
  
San looked out over the ruins of the enemy camp. Obviously, they hadn't left too long ago, a day at the very most. Mostly, the bits left behind were waste food and maybe torn cloth, but someone had left a shining short sword underneath a pile of sacking. San picked it up, admiring the blade. She held it in both hands and swung it, slowly at first, then slightly faster. She sheathed the sword, and hid her dagger under the same pile of sacking. She walked up to the river and began the dangerous task of crossing. Never before had she been close to the lip of a waterfall prior to crossing, but she made it over without incident. As she made it onto the other side, she became aware of a second figure. Even as she watched, a fully armoured samurai warlord strode out into the middle of the clearing. San felt her muscles tense as the tall, saturnine warrior looked at her.  
  
"Ah. Princess Mononoke. I am Lord Asano. You may consider yourself honoured. It's not usual for me to personally dispose of petty rebel leaders."  
  
San drew her new, silvery-blue short sword. It was about 3 feet long, and shone in the sunlight. Above, dark clouds were rolling in. She shifted her grip on the hardwood handle to make it more comfortable, and kept her gaze on the samurai.  
  
"You can consider yourself the unluckiest person ever if you want to cross me. The Forest Spirit is with me, and you will perish in these woods, regretting the day you chose to come here."  
  
Asano laughed at her. He drew his five-foot long katana, which was slightly bloodied from his last fight.  
  
"Prepare to go meet your foster mother, Princess!"  
  
Asano lunged at the girl, but San was quick, and dodged to the left. She struck down on the katana with all her might, drawing a shocked look from Asano. The samurai took a couple of steps back and swung upwards, hoping to cleave the forest princess in two. San rolled back and hit Asano on the armour, making her let go of her weapon. Asano smirked as he approached her. San ran at him, leapt into the air and delivered a smashing kick high up on his chest. Asano fell back, and San seized the opportunity to retrieve her short sword. Asano regained his feet quickly, eyes narrowed in anger. He gave a battle cry and lunged with his katana. San parried the blow, but only just. Suddenly she realised just how close to the edge of the cliff she was. The drop was easily 100 foot, and would not be pleasant should she fall. She threw herself into a forwards roll and got behind Asano. She got up and stood there facing the samurai warlord, breathing lightly.  
  
Ashitaka had made good time on the wolves' back, and was in the forest below the cliff-top. He jumped off, and both the wolves stopped.  
  
"You two carry on. I'll climb the cliff to get to San. Hurry up."  
  
The wolves raced on ahead as Ashitaka scaled the cliff. He knew in his heart where San was right now, and was determined to get to her in time to save her.  
  
Asano smiled as his katana scored a hit on the rabid forest girl. San winced and put a hand to her side. Fortunately, the wolf-skin cape she often wore had cushioned the blow, and the damage was only superficial. She glared at Asano and charged him, holding onto the sword handle with both hands. Asano smirked as he swung upwards to meet San's blow with all his might. San ducked around Asano's swing and found a joint where the armour did not cover. Now it was Asano's turn to wince. San dodged out of range and looked up. High overhead, three vultures were circling. The sun was shining through a break in the clouds, giving full illumination to the battlefield. San looked over at Asano as he came at her, katana drawn, a lusting for revenge on his features.  
  
Down in the forest, San's wolf brothers had found their way up was blocked by a recent landslide. They both ran further along to see if they could find a way up to help their sister.  
  
Asano's katana and San's sword met with a clang, but for once, neither seemed inclined to relent. Asano quickly dodged back and sliced at the smaller sword. San winced as shockwaves ran up her arms. She had been holding on with both hands, but now let go with her left hand. Asano swung again, knocking the sword away from her body. San realised she was nearing the cliff again, but felt powerless to resist. Asano saw his chance and swiped at San. San gave a scream of pain and shock as the katana sliced through her right wrist, and her weapon fell over the edge of the cliff and landed in the plunge pool below the waterfall. A blow from Asano left her on the very edge of the cliff. Although she had always been strong, she couldn't hold the tears back now. Asano stood before her, his katana dripping with blood. She cringed as she awaited the blow that would kill her. She cradled her severed wrist into her wolf pelt. Asano walked up to her and looked her over.  
  
"Well, now who's the winner, Princess Mononoke? Or would you like to be called San in your last moments of life?"  
  
San was too busy trying not to pass out to answer him. Asano carried on.  
  
"I see living with wolves doesn't teach you automatically to be well mannered does it? Now I've beaten you, shall I throw you over the edge, impale you, drown you? It's entirely your choice. But hurry up. I don't like to keep those that benefit from my talent for killing waiting."  
  
He indicated to where a vulture sat, confident San's injury would prove to be fatal. Again, San failed to answer.  
  
"You really are proof of how strong mixed races can be, Princess Mononoke. Although I should drop the titles. Now answer me this question; is it true you were raised by the wolf god Moro?"  
  
San nodded. Asano looked thoughtful.  
  
"So you have no human parents?"  
  
San gritted out an answer, blood dripping to the floor.  
  
"I hate ALL humans! ESPECIALLY you. My parents left me to die in front of Moro, my cowardly mother and my stinking father."  
  
Asano smiled.  
  
"Well after I cut your hand off, there was little else I expected you to say. But before I kill you, I'm going to tell you this."  
  
San looked at him, confusion competing with pain for space on her pale features. She could feel herself going light-headed.  
  
"What do you mean? Moro's dead, my mother's dead, my father's dead. ALL my family's gone. And how would you know what happened to my father?"  
  
Cliffhanger! In more ways than one it seems for San. Please R+R! 


	6. Secret of the Princess 6

Secret of the Princess  
  
Chapter 6  
  
San lay shivering in the dirt. Her wolf pelt was caked with blood that poured out of her wound, but at least now the blood had stopped. She looked up at the samurai warlord before her, for once terror dawning in her eyes. Asano spoke.  
  
"I know your father isn't dead. I am your father."  
  
San cringed as if his words were physical pain.  
  
"That can't be! What happened to your samurai honour if you abandoned me?"  
  
Asano scowled as he rested his foot on San's lower right leg. He pressed down, making San wince further.  
  
"Regardless, you're my child. Join me, and we can rule Japan as father and daughter. Your forest will be held sacred and Iron Town destroyed for good."  
  
He walked backwards, leaving San with the cliff at her back, then leant down and offered his hand to her. San looked at him, and tried to force herself to get up. Asano thought she was submitting.  
  
"Come with me. It is the only way you'll survive."  
  
San leant backwards, away from his pro-offered hand. She felt nothing behind her, but the thought of committing suicide like this didn't trouble her. She only wished she could see her brothers and Ashitaka again. She fell sixty feet before her fall was stopped by a half-dead pine tree.  
  
Ashitaka had made good progress up the cliff, which was almost a hundred and fifty feet high. He was just past halfway when he saw San fall off the cliff edge. On seeing the girl he loved falling to her death, time seemed to stand still. He watched as she was snared in the branches of a tree, and called upon all his strength to climb up to her. Pretty soon he was getting close to where she was delicately trapped. He put all his possessions to one side and scaled the tree. At first, it looked easy enough to climb, but half the limbs were rotten and would break away. San was out cold, her face pale and blood all over her wolf pelt. Ashitaka scaled the tree until he was close enough to reach her. On touching her, she seemed to stir ever so slightly. Ashitaka rubbed something from his eyes as he tried to extract the wounded princess from the branches. At long last, he got San onto his back. He felt an ominous stirring, and realised the tree must be in the process of falling. Hastily, he climbed down, barely making it off the tree as it toppled to the forest below. Ashitaka rested on a cliff shelf and waited to see how San would be.  
  
For hours, San's wolf brothers had been searching for their sister, howling at a regular interval. San had got lost before, especially when she was small, and it had been their job to find her, but she hadn't been lost in two years. They were at the bottom of the cliffs, and howled so near to Ashitaka he nearly fell off in surprise. Ashitaka called down to them.  
  
"She's up here! She's badly hurt, we're going to have to get her to the middle of the forest or back to Iron Town."  
  
The wolves growled on hearing San was hurt, but knew better than to direct the blame at Ashitaka. Just as they prepared to try to scale the cliff, a strange scent, unlike any they'd ever smelt before, came wafting over the air. Ashitaka could smell it too, and jerked upright. Unlike the wolves, he HAD smelt it before. Striding towards them in the fading evening light came the Night Walker, the nocturnal form of the Forest Spirit. In an instant, San, Ashitaka and the wolves were back at San's home in the forest. San's wrist was bandaged, and she seemed a lot healthier. Her brothers sniffed at her, making sure she was ok. San slowly began to wake up. Ashitaka was kneeling down nearby. The wolves retreated to the depths of the cave to give San and Ashitaka some privacy. By now it was close to midnight.  
  
San awoke with a start to see Ashitaka kneeling beside her. She forced a smile for him, but it didn't last. She got up and staggered towards the same rock shelf Moro had encouraged Ashitaka to jump off two years ago. Ashitaka correctly guessed what she was doing, and went to stop her. He got there not a moment too soon and embraced San around the waist. She struggled, not wanting to be held back from death.  
  
"Ashitaka, please, let me go. I don't want to live anymore."  
  
Ashitaka stroked her cheek, causing her to stop struggling. She looked up into his eyes, her eyes welling up with tears. Ashitaka stroked her cheek again and pulled her close.  
  
"Shhh, it's ok San. We still have each other."  
  
"You don't understand though. I've been a protector of this forest since I was a child. Now I find out my true father is one of the people who is destroying all that I hold dear."  
  
Ashitaka sat her down on the stone slab. He sat next to her, an arm around her for support. San had never been one to relent, but here she was, emotionally desecrated. She leant up to his ear and whispered to him.  
  
"Ashitaka?"  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"You won't think any less of me if I cry will you?"  
  
"Of course not."  
  
He pulled her in close, taking her by surprise. San blushed a bit, and then started to cry. Ashitaka hugged her as she vented her emotions. All night long, the two sat there together, watching the stars pass them by. An owl called below in the forest, and a slight breeze blew across San's injured arm. She snuggled up to Ashitaka and looked at him. She smiled and traced her finger over his chest. Ashitaka looked down at her and touched her cheek gently with his lips. As dawn broke, they fell asleep.  
  
Back at Iron Town, all the best shooters were being rallied to repel Asano's samurai. A new weapon was going to be tested against the enemy, but it was essential the attack group looked like a food convoy, or the trick wouldn't work.  
  
San and Ashitaka awoke together in the afternoon. Yakkuru was sleeping with the wolves, but there was another deer with them. San gasped as she realised it was none other than the Forest Spirit himself. Before she could speak even, he reached out and touched her wrist stump. In that instant, she knew her mission and her reward at the end of it. If she could kill Asano and save the forest, then her injury would be healed. As she went to thank the god, he vanished before her very eyes. Ashitaka hugged her.  
  
"Good news?"  
  
San only nodded, and sat back in the cave. Ashitaka began to prepare some trout she had left. After a bit of searching, he found some herbs that San obviously kept for medical purposes. He found the right ones, and added them to the cooking fish. San was obviously planning something, but even San's determined mind couldn't ignore the smell of cooking seasoned fish. She looked at Ashitaka and smiled.  
  
"That DOES smell good Ashitaka. I can't wait to try some."  
  
The wolves approached, curious as to how Ashitaka made such fragrant food. Not too much later, and the fish was cooked. Yakkuru had slipped out to graze. Soon, they were all eating the trout. San cheered up considerably as she felt her strength returning.  
  
"Well, we'll still need to keep up an offensive on those samurai. There's a camp near the waterfall where Asano..."  
  
She trailed off, feeling very confused. Whilst every muscle in her body longed to tear Asano apart for crippling her, some part of her wanted to know her father. She shook her head, and got up. Ashitaka looked over at her.  
  
"Are you ok San?"  
  
San got changed and came back out in a purple dress with a white top on over the top. She donned her wolf fang jewellery and tucked a knife into her wrist stump. She looked at Ashitaka and nodded silently. Ashitaka knew better than to press for further answers; San could be unpredictable at times. Last year, he had made the mistake of introducing her to sake, an alcohol recently made. Just two beakers had made her hyper aggressive, and he'd had to beat her in combat to make her calm down. Her reaction to the drink just six hours later had been to show her well-hidden caring side, and she had served him all night long until her brothers distracted her whilst he was forced to knock her unconscious. When she woke up, she'd had no idea of what happened, and accidentally destroyed the rest of the drink.  
  
San walked out of the cave and headed along an almost-invisible path in the trees. The scent of evergreen trees hung in the air, and insects buzzed past. She sat down in a depression filled with moss and soft grass, listening to the birdsong that surrounded her. She gave a sigh and relaxed fully. A mouse came out of its' burrow and looked at her. On seeing the princess wasn't moving, it climbed onto her stomach and ran around in circles. San opened one eye and smiled at the member of the Mouse Tribe. She reached up to the small white and brown mouse and caressed it along the back of its' head. The small rodent squeaked in pleasure and ran further up San's chest. San gave a wry smile as the mouse sat on her chest, and tickled it gently.  
  
"Do you often sit on girls like this?"  
  
The mouse squeaked in response, and ran onto her shoulder, rubbed up against her, then vanished back into its burrow. San lay back in her secret glade and rested for an hour. Only her brothers knew it existed. It wasn't that she didn't trust Ashitaka fully; she just wanted one secret to herself. As she lay there, Moro appeared to her. She made to sit up as her foster mother approached, but Moro shook her head.  
  
"How are you my child? I know Asano told you the truth, so if you want, I'll stop calling you my child."  
  
"No please mother, you've been wonderful to me. I could love no other the way I loved you."  
  
Moro smiled gently.  
  
"Except maybe Ashitaka."  
  
San blushed.  
  
"Yes, I do love him, but he's a human. You were my mother."  
  
"Your wound will be healed when the threat to the forest is no more. But take care my child. Your path ahead is very dangerous."  
  
"I don't fear death. I know you're with me."  
  
"As is Ashitaka. Don't keep him waiting for you now. Go on, back home."  
  
San reached out to touch Moro's spectral form. Moro smiled and vanished, leaving a single whispered word on the wind.  
  
"Go."  
  
San got up and returned to the cave. Ashitaka had been busy whilst she'd been out, and had been fletching several arrows. Before San could ask what he was doing, an explosion from outside caught her attention. A column of smoke rose up from where the road to Iron Town lay.  
  
Koroku, an old friend of Ashitaka's, was helping manoeuvre the new weapon designed by Iron Town's scientists. It was clad in iron, and took three ox or nine men to pull it, but in battle it was invaluable. It worked on the same basis as a cannon, but fired from five barrels at once. The rough iron orbs used as rifle fodder could also be used in the new cannon. So far, it was proving its worth. Spears decorated the front of it, and it was nicknamed 'Lancet' for that reason. Koroku lit the fuse and fired another round of projectiles at the enemy. Hastily it was refilled and the fuse lit again. The samurai who ambushed them had hit hard and fast, but were faltering before Lancet's relentlessness. Another five messengers of death flew into five luckless samurai. The last samurai retreated, and the fighters from Iron Town pushed on towards the waterfall where Princess Mononoke had lost her fight against Asano. 


	7. Secret of the Princess 7

Secret of the Princess  
  
Chapter 7  
  
San spent most of the night tossing and turning. Although she and Ashitaka were taking up the offensive against the samurai, she felt really weak. She got up off the floor and pushed her bedding over to Ashitaka. A breeze blew through the opening that led to the stone ledge. She shivered, and knelt down beside Ashitaka, shaking him with her good hand.  
  
"Ashitaka, please wake up."  
  
Not long after, Ashitaka awoke. He looked up to see San knelt beside him.  
  
"What's wrong San? Is your arm hurting?"  
  
San shook her head, then nodded, and then shrugged. Ashitaka smiled.  
  
"Bit of everything is it? Snuggle down then, we'll sleep together."  
  
San wiped a tear from her eyes and kissed Ashitaka on the cheek. She snuggled up to him, blushing as Ashitaka pulled the blankets over her. In seconds she was fast asleep. Ashitaka stroked her head gently, and softly kissed her forehead.  
  
"Sleep well, Princess Mononoke."  
  
He lay back and fell asleep too. Without even knowing it, in sleep they both embraced one another.  
  
Lord Asano sat in his tent half a mile from where San had been beaten. He was deep in thought as to what to do. Iron Town's defenders were well organised, and if he mounted an attack from the forest, the men would quickly get demoralised by the rumours of wolves and Princess Mononoke. He had over 700 samurai at his disposal, as well as a few ballistae. But now San was dead, he had lost some of his incentive to battle. Things just didn't seem right without San in the equation somewhere. His force had been whittled down from somewhere in the region of 1000 to 700 in a few weeks. Either he sat around until he was down to his last samurai, or he marched in on Iron Town and smashed through its defences. He studied a map of the area, and realised that Iron Town had one critical flaw in its' design. It was faced with water on three sides. He decided to exploit this weakness to its fullest, and capture the entire iron foundry.  
  
San woke up again. It was still pitch black, suggesting it was about midnight. She looked at her wrist stump. Ashitaka had put a glove made of deer hide over her wound. She could easily tighten or loosen the glove, and it kept her wrist from bleeding. She loosened the glove and slid the cast off her arm. For what seemed like hours, she just stared at her severed limb. Having two hands was something she had always taken for granted. She'd had one or two cuts on her hands and wrists, but had never, even in her worst nightmare, dreamt one of her hands would be cut off. She ran her fingers across the flesh of her severed wrist. She winced as her fingers touched severed nerves. She walked onto the stone ledge overlooking the forest. She looked out at the forest and sighed. Although changing with life was something she had no trouble with, the thought of losing her beloved forest was a huge concern. She lay on the rocky ledge and dozed off. Falling off wasn't a concern; she'd slept in a similar position dozens of times. She was worried about how she'd defeat the samurai, literally single-handed.  
  
San awoke in the early morning. The sun wasn't quite up yet, and the land was still cold. She made to draw her wolf pelt around her, but then remembered she'd washed it and left it inside. She rubbed her right arm with her left hand to warm herself up, but stopped short when she made to repeat the gesture on her left arm. She could feel the tears building up in her eyes. The thought her worst enemy since Lady Eboshi had incapacitated her like this and then said he was her true father was too much. She covered her dark eyes with her hand and a few tears leaked out. Suddenly she felt a warm presence behind her. She gasped, and looked around. It was Ashitaka, crouching behind her. He wasn't smiling, and he didn't speak. He just put a hand on her cheek and caressed her jaw with his thumb. San smiled, and leant into him. Just as they were about to kiss, the sun crested the horizon. Almost immediately, a shadow flew over them. From seemingly nowhere came a giant golden eagle. San looked somewhat surprised, but had obviously seen it before.  
  
"Lord Chrysaetos, we meet again."  
  
"Princess Mononoke. Is Moro here? I wish to speak with her."  
  
"She's dead. Only two of her kin live to this day, apart from myself."  
  
"Well, we've come from the mountains to aid you. Although the Eagle Clan is smaller than it once was, we are here to purge the forest of any threat."  
  
San smiled at the giant eagle.  
  
"I see you're the same from the last time we met. How many have you brought with you?"  
  
"Eleven including myself. We hope to serve anyway we can."  
  
"Well, right now we're taking a rest. The threat comes from a horde of samurai from elsewhere in the country. An iron foundry in the forest is essentially neutral to us, and there might be one or two wild boar left from Lord Okkoto's tribe. Other than that, we have little in the way of fighting units."  
  
Ashitaka stood back as the two old comrades talked. Suddenly he turned around, shocked to see no less than twenty samurai charging into San's home.  
  
"Watch out! San, get out of here! You can't fight in this condition!"  
  
San spun around to see the enemy bearing down on them. Behind her, the eagle Chrysaetos bared his talons and gave a high-pitched cry. Ten other eagles flew in and began to savage the samurai trying to get into the cave. Ashitaka drew his sword and leapt into the fray, bringing down two samurai in five seconds.  
  
The fighters that had left Iron Town with Lancet were returning to their homes. The fight hadn't been entirely one-sided; six of their best riflemen were dead and another four were wounded. But the fight had gone well, and Lancet's test run was confirmed as a success. Koroku led his fighters back into the fortress, being pleasantly surprised by the fact his wife, Toki, had no criticisms to make on his handling of the situation. He made his report to Lady Eboshi, who was resting in her home. Since Moro had ripped her right arm off in her last moments of life, Eboshi had been just as assertive, but calmer and more prepared to think things through. Before, she'd been convinced even the gods couldn't touch her. Now her arrogance had been wiped out of her character. She smiled as Koroku entered.  
  
"Good afternoon Koroku. How did Lancet's test run go?"  
  
"I-it went well, Milady. Six men were killed on our side, and four injured. But the samurai were all killed by our newest weapon."  
  
"You've done well Koroku, I congratulate you. Take your men and have a rest now. The second of Lancet's type is nearly ready. You may name it as you see fit."  
  
Koroku bowed and left Eboshi alone. In the new weapons factory, a second spread-shot cannon was being finished. Long spears were added to the front and sides, making it hard for anyone to interfere with the cannon's five barrels. It also gave the otherwise comical-looking weapon a more fearsome look. He went back to his home, and bedded down.  
  
San took hold of her knife and leapt upon a samurai. Her blood-red tattoos stood out on her face, distorted by pure rage. She lightly touched the knifepoint to the man's forehead, then dragged and slashed downwards in a viciously fast movement. Blood sprayed up as the man yelled in agony. San elbowed him in the gut with her bad arm, and then thrust the knife into his throat with all her might. Her brutal attack took less than twenty seconds. The samurai gave a gurgle as his life ebbed away. By now, only a few samurai were left. Ashitaka was holding his own admirably well, and the eagles were fighting hard too. In a short space of time, all the samurai were dead. San gave a deep sigh and collapsed onto her bed, blood decorating her fair hued skin. Ashitaka wiped the gore off his sword and took all valuables off the dead warriors before pushing them off the ledge. Chrysaetos sat on the top of the stone doorway and cleaned his feathers of the filth of battle.  
  
For the rest of the day, the eagles set up nests around the wolf lair. San was exhausted by her fight, and dozed fitfully on her bed, still bloodied from the battle. At least no samurai had been able to report where she hid in the forest.  
  
That night, a thousand creatures left their assorted homes in the forest and marched on Asano's camp. They were determined to play their part in the saving of their home. The kodama sat in the trees, making their typical clicking sounds as the horde beneath them ran at a considerable pace towards the human encampment. Their tactic wouldn't be to force the samurai out by vast slaughter and death. Their tactic would be one entirely unexpected.  
  
Note to anyone curious, Chrysaetos is part of the Latin name for the golden eagle. Aquila is the other part 


	8. Secret of the Princess 8

Secret of the Princess  
  
Chapter 8  
  
San's wolf brothers lay in the cave entrance, watching over Ashitaka and San. Both had been disappointed to miss a fight against the human invaders, but hadn't argued much, as they had both gone on a hunting foray. Their hunt had gone well, and neither felt like much action. It was late in the morning, and Ashitaka was sleeping. San was brooding over the loss of her right hand, and the eagles were either hunting or adding to their platform- like nests. Already, one of the female eagles was preparing a nest for eggs. The wolves looked on, and then leapt onto the top of their cave, where Moro had so often sat when she was alive. The sun was high in the sky, and it was very warm. Although they usually didn't howl until night, the urge to do so was very strong. Finally they relented, and their high- pitched song carried out across the forest. Then, to their surprise, came a reply, too soon to be an echo. As hard as it was to tell, it sounded as if the one that had answered was a lone female.  
  
At Asano's camp, all hell had broken loose. The Mouse Tribe had descended on their food like vultures onto carrion. All food was either eaten, being eaten or rendered unfit for human consumption. The samurai simply couldn't make much of a dent in the numbers of mice. Some were stamped on, others kicked away, and still others hit by weapons. But still the brown rodents kept on coming. In a mere hour, four months of food had been eaten. Asano was furious. Even as he gave orders to burn the camp down, their tiny assailants ran off as quickly as they'd come. Angry samurai took stock of their ravaged camp. With so little food left, Asano would be hard pressed to maintain discipline. He'd have to either postpone his attack on Iron Town, or speed up his plans to capture the foundry.  
  
At midday, Ashitaka awoke. He stretched, yawned, and looked at where San was sitting, obviously brooding still about her missing hand. He decided not to bother her, as she could be very unpredictable when she was like this. He took up a straight branch and began attaching flights to it. It didn't take long for him to finish making his arrows. With the eagles present, he wasn't hard pressed to find good feathers for flights. He took stock of his arrows, and strung one onto his bow. He pulled the bowstring back to its' full extent, and let the arrow fly out over the forest. He watched as it arced up into the sky, and then fell out of sight. He sighed as he stood there, looking over the forest. He knew all too well how the forest was not invulnerable, despite its colossal size. Behind him, San finally stirred and got up. She packed his arrows into a quiver with her good hand, wincing every once in a while as her severed limb caused a shooting pain. She threw the quiver at Ashitaka's feet. Ashitaka looked back at her, a look of concern on his face.  
  
"How are you feeling?"  
  
San shrugged, not in much of a mood to talk. Ashitaka pressed her for an answer.  
  
"Do you feel any pain?"  
  
San snapped.  
  
"NO, I am NOT in pain! I'm angry Ashitaka! Angry that Iron Town will try to consume the forest again! Angry that my father is a samurai warlord who cut my hand off! ALL my troubles come from humans!"  
  
As Ashitaka made to calm her down, her knife appeared in her hand. He hesitated. She hadn't pulled a weapon on him since the near-death of the forest.  
  
"I HATE people! I hate Eboshi! I hate Asano! I hate YOU TOO Ashitaka!"  
  
San realised what she'd said and stopped her rant short. She sheathed her knife and ran out the cave. Ashitaka sighed. San was taking the loss of her hand very hard indeed. He looked over the forest. In the direction of the foundry, dark clouds could be seen. One of the eagles flew past the opening to its' nest. The two wolves growled at the cloud. The air had gone muggy and it was far warmer than it should be. Something was wrong.  
  
San kept on running as fast as she could. She felt angry at Ashitaka for exposing parts of her that were too human for her liking, yet at the same time she knew she shouldn't have threatened him. Directly or indirectly, he'd never meant her harm, and had always tried to help her. She slowed her pace, and looked around. She was near the rockier parts of the forest now, huge black and grey boulders everywhere. She heard a funny whirring sound, then the world went black.  
  
Koroku was leading the new weapons out on another test run. The men were mostly armed with crossbows and katanas, but at least one had a rifle. The men operating Lancet lit the fuses and covered their ears. There was a bang, and a flurry of projectiles shot in all directions. The samurai then poured on the villagers from all sides, some bleeding from Lancet's shots. The ill-equipped villagers fell under the deadly precision and accuracy of the samurai. Koroku took a blow to the head and fell to the ground. The samurai killed nearly everyone, the only survivors being the men who operated Lancet. They were rounded up and taken away to the desecrated samurai camp.  
  
Ashitaka had killed a foraging patrol and taken everything he could back to the cave. San still hadn't returned, but she'd been known to go off for days on end. Ashitaka was still worried about her, but he was more focused on stocking up on weapons. He looked at the pillaged weaponry he had in the cave. Then he sat back and thought about attacking the samurai in their camp when the Mouse Tribe entered. 


	9. Secret of the Princess 9

Secret of the Princess  
  
Chapter 9  
  
San woke up slowly. She tried to rub the bump on her head, but found she couldn't. She could hear voices around her, speaking in fluent Japanese. Suddenly she realised where she must be. Some samurai must have captured her. Her rage boiled over and exploded. She tugged at the chains holding her captive and struggled to rise. Pain too great for her to accept flooded her body. Somebody had tightened her chains especially tight around her wrist stump. She gave a shout, alerting her captors that she was awake. The samurai gathered around, smirking. It was rare to see anyone so feisty and full of life. San could feel her clothing was torn, and felt suddenly vulnerable. She glared at her captors, flexing her legs, which were wrapped with chains.  
  
"Get your stinking carcasses away from me."  
  
Her voice dripped hatred, loathing and contempt. One of the samurai, more sadistic than the rest, picked up a handful of nettles. The others cheered and held San still as the stinging leaves were forced into her mouth. San gave a muffled cry of agony as the nettles stung the inside of her mouth and tongue. After a while, the samurai holding her mouth shut let her go, and she retched, spewing the nettles out in a mixture of bile and blood. She was in total agony, but at least it wasn't a cold night. Suddenly she was drenched from head to foot in cold, smelly water. The samurai laughed at her, then moved off as Asano came up to her. His blood-red katana was still in its sheath, but he was taking no chances with his rabid daughter. He held a towel and began to rub her dry, a process which wasn't made any easier by the fact she was writhing all over the place. He sighed and sat back. San pulled herself upright, unable to speak because of the boils welling up in her mouth.  
  
"Listen San, I'm not going to kill you. Drink this potion. I saw what my men did to you."  
  
San gave a strangled sob, but in the end, her aching mouth decided for her what to do. She opened her mouth, and Asano poured the potion down her throat, and she gave a sigh of relaxation as the medicine got to work on her pain. She looked up at Asano, still not trusting him, but grateful he had at least helped her ache die away. She then gestured to her severed hand, and Asano quickly caught on and took the chains off. San felt more inclined to rest, and sat back, trying to get comfortable. Asano left his daughter and went back to directing his horde of disgruntled samurai. San tried hard to listen. It was hard to tell, but it sounded as though he'd said anyone who touched her would die.  
  
Back at Iron Town, the villagers were taking stock of their ravaged party. With the Lancet-type cannon in samurai hands, they would soon be hit with their own weapon. Lady Eboshi was in a quandary over what to do when an emissary came from Asano's camp. She was sat in her home when the diplomat arrived.  
  
"Greetings Lady Eboshi. Your reputation is well deserved. Even your practice party was hard to slaughter."  
  
Eboshi narrowed her dark eyes at him.  
  
"I train my people well. Now what do you want?"  
  
"I've been authorised to make a deal with you. Hand over half your town's produce and we'll give you back your new weapons. The ones who operated them had the poor grace to kill themselves. It's a shame none of you come close to the sheer power Princess Mononoke has."  
  
"What does that half-mad wolf girl have to do with this? Her clan is strong."  
  
The messenger laughed.  
  
"Not so strong. She is our captive, and has had her right hand cut off. Lord Asano will kill her soon."  
  
Eboshi betrayed no reaction at all. San had wanted to cut her throat after Moro had ripped her arm off. The messenger pressed for an answer.  
  
"Anyway, do we have a deal?"  
  
"No, we don't. We're mass-producing those cannons; we have another ready even now. Leave before I tell my guards to kill you."  
  
The messenger laughed.  
  
"Guards? You mean prostitutes too ugly to make a living even in the lowest brothel in Japan, peasants too stupid to farm and lepers so diseased each breath is likely to be their last? You mean those guards? And what a fine leader they have these days, a woman with one arm and more fine talk than clout in a battle."  
  
Eboshi signalled, and eight guards entered the room. The messenger left, and the second cannon, Lancet 2, was finished.  
  
At the samurai camp, San was enjoying a few brief moments of motion. Asano had set her loose, but kept her collared. She couldn't speak, and nor was her pain much better. Her clothing was still ragged, but as she couldn't ask for anything else, she just accepted it. She stretched her sleepy muscles, and tried to drink some water. The camp was slowly being put back together, but food was at a premium. Suddenly, a samurai who looked like he didn't know when to stop drinking sake approached her. San clenched her fist, feeling the cold steel of her shackles still over her skin. The samurai swept her off her feet and pressed her down against the ground. San was shocked by the speed of the attack. Before she could begin to recover and plot a counterattack, her assailant had torn a long strip off her dress and tied it firmly over her mouth. She began to panic rather than become angry, as she'd never been attacked this way before. Her drunken assailant tore at her clothing the way a mountain lion would tear at its prey. Her collar came off as he desperately lunged at her. She got hold of herself and kicked outwards, forcing him off her and into a large rock. She struggled to untie the gag over her mouth, but couldn't make her fingers co- operate. She got up shakily and ran out of the camp as fast as she could, not caring if all the samurai were after her. At that moment in time, all she wanted was the warmth of Ashitaka's embrace, the phantom taste of his lips on hers, the reassurance that all would be well despite how bad things were. She felt a lump swell in her throat and sobbed around her gag.  
  
Outside the cave, San's brothers had met the lone female wolf. She was seemingly their age, and quite a bit smaller, but white nevertheless. Already they were getting friendly, and showing her the forest. Inside, Ashitaka finished persuading Chrysaetos to look for San. 


	10. Secret of the Princess 10

Secret of the Princess  
  
Chapter 10  
  
San walked tiredly through the forest. From time to time she could hear the sounds of samurai out looking for her, but none ever found her. She felt beaten and utterly deflated, and also ashamed of herself for what had happened. She prayed that Ashitaka would still love her, but felt she couldn't blame him if he didn't. Doggedly she pushed on through the vegetation, her fiery spirit refusing to allow her to rest or give up.  
  
At the cave, Ashitaka was honing new edges on his sword blade. The latest conflict had tired him out a lot, and he was seeking to perfect his weapon before he fell asleep. The eagles had all been searching for San, apart from the one incubating eggs. He held the sword up to the sunlight, satisfied it was now sharpened perfectly. He laid his weapon down and picked up an apple. The eagles had been gone for a long time now, but it was a matter of no concern. If half a score of giant golden eagles couldn't look after themselves, who could? The three wolves were asleep near the entrance. Ashitaka gave a sigh and was about to bed down when Chrysaetos appeared at the ledge. Although it was hard for an eagle to look worried, Ashitaka could tell something was wrong.  
  
San dragged herself through one of the many rivers that wound its way through the forest. She had come across one of Iron Town's small logging camps, and noted that for every four trees they cut down, seven new ones were planted. She'd found no supplies there, and a lack of food and water was tiring her out. Worse still, she had no idea where she was going. She could feel the boils in her mouth going down, which was something to be thankful for. However, she was still bound in iron cuffs that no amount of shaking would loosen, and speech was beyond her capabilities. San then had an idea. If she followed the river upstream, she might just come to the waterfall where she had battled Asano. Once there, the way home would be familiar enough. She walked on through the water, unaware of the eagle soaring high above her.  
  
Asano had sent out patrols of two dozen men to track down his daughter. The samurai who had attempted to rape her had been made an example of, and the killing had shaken even the most hardened soldier. Asano's horde was now just over three hundred and fifty. With four patrols of twenty-four gone, he was confident that his daughter would be in his hands again by nightfall.  
  
Chrysaetos perched on the ledge as Ashitaka scrambled up to him.  
  
"What is it?"  
  
"The samurai lord has sent out sizable patrols to locate San. If we split up accordingly, we can keep track of them. If the patrols find San, we attack."  
  
The golden eagle lord flared his feathers as he finished his sentence, implying that his attack would be nothing short of devastating. Ashitaka sheathed his sword.  
  
"Can I come with you?"  
  
Chrysaetos seemed to smile.  
  
"I was going to ask you to. You know these woods better than me, Ashitaka."  
  
Ashitaka mounted the giant eagle. Chrysaetos spread his 20 foot wings and flapped off over the forest. Ashitaka looked at the forest far below, marvelling at it. Chrysaetos flew towards the other nine eagles.  
  
"Split three ways and follow a patrol each. Give a cry when you've found Princess Mononoke."  
  
The eagles peeled away in three groups of three. Chrysaetos and Ashitaka headed towards the distant waterfall where San had been crippled.  
  
San ran through the water. Her samurai pursuers were in no rush to fight her. They had already stated that if she didn't surrender, they would make her stop. The thought of giving up so easily made her blood boil, and she ran for the waterfall. The samurai matched her pace easily, and followed her to the plunge pool. Mentally San prayed for a miracle to save her from impending recapture.  
  
Ashitaka and Chrysaetos were soon joined by the rest of the eagles. Even as they flew towards the waterfall, a chill descended over the land. Ashitaka looked around, the mystery only heightened when he saw it was a clear sky. He could also swear it was getting darker, but the sun was at its' highest point in the sky. He shrugged. Right now, he had to worry about rescuing San, never mind a little darkness. The eagles flew in low to attack the samurai. As they got lower, Ashitaka noticed the light was dropping, and that the originally cyan blue sky was now a mixture of navy blue and purple. Also, the Sun seemed different somehow. Ashitaka focused his thoughts on rescuing his beloved, and watched as they neared the forest floor.  
  
San fell into one of the pools before the plunge pool, out of breath. She sucked in water around her gag, but instead of revitalising her, it made her feel worse. She realised the water was still here, so was probably scummy. Trying to get a hold of herself and force some strength into her beaten legs, she stumbled to the largest plunge pool, the water looking pure and fresh. She lowered herself into it and tried to drink. The water tasted lovely, and at long last, she felt new life seep into her. She then stood up in the pool, and began to notice that her surroundings were getting darker, losing their very colour rather than the way darkness seeped in at dusk. Afraid she was losing consciousness, she splashed water over herself, but still nothing happened. Everything seemed drained of colour. Also, it looked like a premature night was dawning over the land. She had little time to think as the samurai came up. They were smiling, as if they were planning something. One stepped forward.  
  
"Ok San, here's the deal. Say 'No' clearly and you can go free."  
  
San glared at them, ready to go down fighting. She tried to speak, but her mouth was still gagged and hurting from the nettles. She fished out a rock shard from the depths of the pool. Her heart beat fast as she prepared to fight to the death. Suddenly, from behind her came a huge splash, which soaked her afresh. She gave a muffled cry of surprise when she saw it was the Great Forest Spirit. She felt something happen to her severed hand, and the two iron bands that encircled her wrists rusted and fell into dust. Suddenly, the samurai began yelling in agony as the eagles attacked. In less than half a minute, not one samurai was left alive. Ashitaka ran to San, who was stood in the plunge pool all by herself; the Forest Spirit having vanished. Her hand was still missing, but she looked to be slightly better. He took the gag off her and threw it aside. Only then did San react. She flung herself on him with such force they were both knocked over. San smiled warmly at him as she ran her hand over his chest, and then up to his face. She whispered two words, more full of love than Ashitaka had ever heard her use before.  
  
"My hero."  
  
Her lips touched Ashitaka's, surprisingly passionate and full of human emotion, compared to her previous kisses which were often fleeting. She embraced him tenderly, relishing the feel of his body against hers. After they broke contact, she laid her head on his chest, snuggling up close. Ashitaka caressed the back of her head, making her smile. At long last, after days of pain and humiliating defeat, San's near-future was looking brighter. Ashitaka pointed up at the sky. San followed where he was indicating. Where the Sun had been a few minutes before there was now a faintly illuminated ring, and a vibrant point of light on one limb. Both of them kissed under the eclipsed sun, feeling that no matter what the next few days held in store, soon everything would be back to normal. San vowed she would make it up to Ashitaka for yelling at him. She loved him more than she cherished the forest. 


	11. Secret of the Princess 11

**Secret of the Princess**

**Chapter 11**

San relaxed on her bed of fur and relaxing herbs. Her two wolf brothers were ecstatic to see her back in pretty much one piece, and not one of the eagles had been hurt in the attack. Ashitaka was taking count of all the money he had recovered off the samurai. He knew it would be important sometime soon. He knew that the samurai leader simply had to go, even if he had to hire assassins to kill Asano. But he knew that even though Asano had treated his daughter in a foul manner, San wouldn't just shrug off him being killed by the man she loved. She was showing more and more human emotions as she spent time with Ashitaka. San glanced over at Ashitaka counting money and smiled. She spoke softly, trying to create a real lovers' air.

"Ashitaka?"

Ashitaka looked up from his self-appointed task and looked at his forest princess.

"Yes San? Is there anything wrong?"

San tried her best to hold in a giggle, and ended up disguising it as a cough.

"Well there is actually. My lips have gone all sore, and my body's aching."

"Really? Lets have a look at you."

He walked over to San, the wolves curiously watching their sister. She had never acted like this before. San sat up in a relaxed position.

"It hurts about here."

She indicated the top of her upper lip. Ashitaka leant in to see what was wrong. San smiled ever so slightly.

"Closer."

Ashitaka leant in even closer, so their noses were touching. San whispered again.

"Closer."

Ashitaka, still unsuspecting, leant in until their lips were nearly touching. San pulled him into a hug, and then began playfully wrestling with him. Even lacking one hand, she still managed to pin him down. Smiling, she touched his lips with her own. Ashitaka kissed her back and embraced her close. The wolves were astonished to see San playing like a wolf cub. San held onto Ashitaka as if her life depended on it. Ashitaka sat up, and she climbed into his lap.

"Leaving so soon Ashitaka? We're just getting started."

Ashitaka laughed, drawing a smile from San.

"Last time I tried to get close to you, the end result wasn't really what I had in mind. What have you got planned for me this time?"

San gave a sly smile.

"Not what you'd expect."

Ashitaka looked at her sceptically.

"I'm not sure I like the sound of that, Princess Mononoke."

San's smile broadened.

"Just trust me."

She approached him and took his hands in hers. She then led him to where her bed was, and pulled him down onto it. Ashitaka leant in close and kissed her softly on the cheek.

Outside, the sun was setting. The total eclipse was long since over, but it had burnt itself into the minds of many. The eagle leader Chrysaetos stretched his magnificent golden-brown wings. Iron Town's characteristic spire of smoke could be seen, but even as the giant eagle looked, a second, much darker pall of smoke rose into the air. Chrysaetos took to the air and flew over to the town. Below him, Asano's men were firing flaming projectiles into Iron Town. The sound of gunfire was ear splitting even from where the eagle soared. This time, Asano's men seemed to be winning. The fireballs were wreaking havoc on the wooden houses, forcing many to choose between dousing the fires and sniping at samurai. As suddenly as the attack had begun, it began to die down. Suddenly, an explosion ripped through the back of Iron Town. Chrysaetos watched in surprise as a gaping hole was blown in the palisade wall surrounding the town. The Tatarans turned around for a fatal moment, allowing the samurai to storm the town. In mere minutes, the battle looked irretrievably lost. Those that didn't surrender were brutally cut down and butchered. Soon, the entire town was knelt in defeat. Children cried in distress as the samurai prowled around them. Chrysaetos flew back to San's cave, knowing San and Ashitaka would want to be informed of this development.

About twelve miles from Iron Town, a single young girl wearily trod along the dusty road that led to the forge town. Already, the characteristic spire of smoke could be made out if the air was still. She brushed a hand over her forehead, adjusted the pack of food on her back and carried on her journey. Her feet ached as if they were being cut in half. She had a motive for finding Iron Town, one that she would die for.

San and Ashitaka were both cuddled up together and dozing the evening away. Both of them were sleepy, and enjoying a quiet moment in the almost constant battles that seemed to make up their lives recently. San was mumbling in her sleep as the eagle lord flew onto the ledge.

"No, I don't want to take a bath Ashitaka, I want some of that musty, hot drink. It's REALLY something. YOU'RE really something."

She giggled and rolled over in her sleep, balling up in the fur blankets. The eagle rolled his eyes as he nudged her, making her roll over again.

"Oh my Ashitaka, coming into my bed now? Really, what will you do next?"

The giant eagle lord gave vent to a harsh battle cry, waking the forest princess up in seconds. San leapt out of bed and panted for breath, her hand over her heart.

"Chrysaetos, what did you do that for? I was having a lovely dream."

"I daresay you were San, but Iron Town has fallen."

"So I awake from one dream into another. I had always hoped those gunmen would clash with the..."

San broke off, realising that her father was at the forefront of the samurai leading the raid. Even though the Great Forest Spirit was reborn, the land was delicate. One battle could alter the balance of power permanently and tip the land into chaos. And this time there'd be no rebirth. The forest San had struggled to protect would be a barren land. This time, she knew fighting would only fuel the problem. She sat down and began thinking of a way around this insurmountable problem. As she sat there, she was unaware of a pair of eyes staring at her. Slowly, a huge animal crept closer and closer to the cave, so silently even the three wolves didn't hear it.


	12. Secret of the Princess 12

**Secret of the Princess**

**Chapter 12**

Lord Asano's samurai walked among the defeated citizens of Iron Town. Men, women and children alike were forced to lie facedown in the dirt. Spears and swords were held mere inches above their backs to quell any thought of an uprising. Two Lancet-type cannons were lashed together, providing fire for every angle. Koroku lay near the two cannons, pieces of burning wood all over the place. He glanced over at his wife Toki, and noticed how scared she looked. This in itself was evidence of how much trouble they were in. Even when Princess Mononoke had attacked directly two years ago, Toki hadn't betrayed much reaction. She'd barely reacted any more when Ashitaka had been mistakenly shot through the lung. But now, in the hands of hostile samurai who had every reason to kill her or abuse her, her unworried expression had died away. She was looking worried, and for good cause too. Her faded blue yukata was revealing rather more of her body than she wanted, and the samurai weren't taking any steps to ease her discomfort. Ever since he'd met her, he'd never known her to be worried to this degree. Spurred into boldness by the peril his wife was in, Koroku kicked a flaming brand near him towards the five-barrelled cannons. By sheer luck, the fuses began to burn. He lay totally still as a samurai came up to him, directly in line with one of the barrels of a cannon. The sizzling sound of the flame burning the fuses wasn't apparent at all. The samurai took out his longbow and thumped the end into the dirt right by Koroku's face. It was at that point the cannons went off. Masses of shrapnel caused grievous cuts and wounds to several samurai and killed three, but for the residents of Iron Town, they would end up suffering more. Lord Asano walked into the town, his bloodied katana at his side. He looked over the assembly of defeated civilians and victorious samurai, and smiled.

"Finally, we stand victorious in this iron foundry. But I think it could do with a few changes here and there, don't you men?"

The samurai cheered. Lord Asano drew a line through the hard-packed earth with his sword, and gave orders for a shallow trench to be dug. Not long after, there was a narrow, long trench running from one end of the town to the other. Asano selected a villager, a strong looking man, one of the few survivors from the purge two years ago. The man was forced to stand at one end of the trench whilst a few archers stood at the other. Two children began to cry, calling for their father. Asano gave no sign of hearing them as he ordered the man to turn around. As the man turned to face the archers, there was a whir in the air. Half a dozen arrows hit him with deadly accuracy and astounding force. One hit the luckless man right in the eye, tearing through flesh and even the skull. The man was dead before he hit the ground, blood spurting out from his six arrow wounds. People gasped in shock at the callous murder. Asano looked around.

"Any questions?"

Many samurai laughed at their leader's cold-bloodedness. Koroku lay as still as could be. After a few minutes of laughing, each of which felt like a year, several samurai walked into the pyramidal forge and came out with what looked like very long, thin, metal 'U's'. A samurai approached Toki and turned her onto her back. She was shaking in fear by now. He stretched her left arm out, and began to hammer the metal 'U' over her wrist and into the ground. Soon enough, she was pinned down and unable to escape. At this she panicked totally. As a brothel girl, she'd had a few rough times, but nothing that seemed to come close to this. Many other women were undergoing the same treatment. Eboshi was spared the humiliation. Finally, the town leader broke as another man was put to death.

"Enough Lord Asano. Iron Town is now yours."

Asano smirked.

"A wise choice, for if you hadn't given in, we'd have filled that trench with the blood of your people."

"Not what I'd call a warrior's courage, imprisoning women, terrifying children and shooting hostages."

"Careful, we may have to kill another..."

"OPEN FIRE!"

Deep in the forest, three tigers had appeared from the extreme south. They were golden and black in colour, with deep cyan eyes. One was bigger than the other two, showing one was male, and the other two were either part of his harem or just partners. San suddenly spun around and saw the three big cats crouching outside her home. She smiled wryly, running her good hand through her hair.

"Tigris, it's been years since I saw you last. You were just a tiny little cub then."

The male smiled dangerously, but there was no malevolent threat in his voice.

"What did you expect, Princess, I was just a cub then. And you were very small yourself. This is Corbetti, and this is Amoy."

Tigris indicated the two female tigers. The one named Amoy had five faded scars running over her face, but they were distinctive nevertheless. Other than that, they only differed by their stripes. Thick, bunched muscles suggested power only comparable to San's foster mother, Moro. Ashitaka turned around to see the three massive cats looming over San. Her brothers and their female companion looked unfazed, so he knew they were no threat. As Ashitaka got up, Tigris made a low growl.

"Who is the human boy?"

San beckoned to Ashitaka, and put her wounded arm around him.

"He is my protector and my hero. This is Ashitaka."

She smiled and kissed his cheek. The tigers looked at her strangely. Tigris beckoned Ashitaka aside and spoke to him in an undertone.

"How did you tame her, Ashitaka? When I was here, there was no getting a smile out of her short of a kill. What did you do?"

"I taught her that fighting isn't the only answer."

Tigris looked impressed, then walked to a corner of the cave with Amoy and Corbetti. Here, he lay down, flicking his tail back and forth. Outside, the fragrant smell of flowers wafted into the cave, accompanied by evening birdsong.

"We'll rest here if that's ok with you Princess."

Before San could answer, her brothers stepped in.

"This is OUR cave, why not ask US what is best?"

Tigris looked directly at San's eldest brother.

"We could. But don't you follow what the Princess says?"

The wolves snarled, baring their icy white fangs. San ran up to stop the fight before it could escalate.

"Please, there's plenty of room here. The enemy is in the forest, not in this cave."

Tigris looked at her.

"Why do you hide your other hand these days Princess?"

San looked stung, and went to her bed of furs. Already it was sunset. Ashitaka tried to comfort her, but she wouldn't listen. She didn't erupt the way she had before, but she wouldn't talk either. Tigris looked to her brothers.

"What happened to her?"

The wolves snarled.

"She had her hand cut off by a human who is destroying this forest, and is also her father. Now sleep."

The wolves huddled together and dozed off. The three tigers took a bit longer, but Ashitaka and San stayed awake long into the night. Chrysaetos and the other eagles had padded San's bed with some of their feathers whilst they had talked. Ashitaka piled the furs onto San as a breeze wandered into the cave. San shivered and finally became still. By the light of the stars outside, Ashitaka could tell she was looking at him.

"Ashitaka?"

"Yes San?"

"What'll you do when this battle is over?"

Ashitaka pondered for a while.

"I want to spend more time with you. Just you and me fishing, hunting, enjoying sunny days, things like that."

San smiled weakly as she made room in the bed for Ashitaka too.

"Can I ask you one more thing Ashitaka?"

Ashitaka smiled, leant down and kissed her.

"Of course you can, my forest princess."

"What were YOUR parents like?"


	13. Secret of the Princess 13

**Secret of the Princess**

**Chapter 13**

Ashitaka sat by San's side as she lay in her bed, relating the story of his family to her.

"My people, the Imishi, were never a huge tribe, but they always got by. They didn't seek to encompass all of Japan in an empire the way the Yamato did. All they wanted was to get by in life, and for years untold, that's just what the Imishi people did. But then about 500 years ago, the armies of the Yamato descended on the Imishi town. The people who weren't killed escaped into the mountains, which is where the village still is today. My parents were both dead just after my mother had given birth to my sister Kaya. Our seer foretold bad events would unfold that would spell the end of the Imishi in my generation."

San nodded, captivated by his story. She already knew something of the Imishi people from Yakkuru. But still, hearing the full tale off Ashitaka was enjoyable. She relaxed under the bed of furs, scratching at her wrist stump from time to time.

"Then one day, two years ago, the boar god Nago attacked our village. I pleaded for him to stop, not drawing a weapon until my sister was threatened. I think you know the rest."

San smiled.

"Wasn't there a part about meeting a forest girl who swore to kill the inhabitants of an iron forge because they were despoiling the land?"

Ashitaka leant over her.

"You don't want to hear about all that surely? It would mean I couldn't kiss you goodnight. Besides, I know not to spoil you."

San smiled a bit more, and then curled up. Ashitaka tucked the fur blankets in around her. He heard a deep growl behind him, and looked to see the larger of San's brothers stood behind him.

"Follow me outside Ashitaka. I want to speak with you in private. And whatever you do, don't tell San about this."

Mystified, Ashitaka nodded. He walked out of the cave and climbed onto the rocky rooftop. The giant white wolf leapt up beside him.

"First things first. Both my brother and I want to thank you for saving San. We know she looks to you more now you've proven your love for her."

Ashitaka nodded and looked out over the wide forest below him. As far as he could see in every direction, all he could see was dark green trees. San's brother continued.

"Also, we want to know something. Don't be afraid to answer."

Ashitaka snapped out of his reverie and looked at the white wolf.

"What is it?"

"Do you plan on starting a family with her?"

Ashitaka flushed red and looked taken aback.

"I really hadn't thought about it. But if the right time came along, and I had your blessing, and if she was willing, then I might do so."

The wolf seemed to smile, but not in a predatory way.

"Our blessing you have, but we need to ask you one favour."

"What's that?"

"Use your talent for solving things without bloodshed. Don't kill the samurai Asano."

Of all the things the wolf could have said, none would have surprised him more.

"Why? I would have thought the samurai lord would just remind you that you aren't her real brothers."

The wolf snarled.

"He does, yes, but San is showing more human emotions as she spends time with you. So do you promise?"

"Yes, I promise. I'll do all I can to stop this war with no more bloodshed."

"Thank you Ashitaka."

Ashitaka nodded and climbed down into the cave. As he entered the cave, he heard a loud howling from above. Although the tigers seemed to jerk in their sleep, San's other brother and the female wolf seemed to relax. Ashitaka lay down on the bare rock floor, feeling he had a huge load put on his shoulders. He stared up at the rocky ceiling, and felt grief seize him. What fate could have befallen Kaya whilst he was here in his new home? For all he knew, she could be dead. By the entrance, Amoy got up and went to the stream not far from the cave. A tear dripped from Ashitaka's eyes as he thought of his little sister. San looked up, sensing there was something wrong.

"Ashitaka?"

When he didn't respond, San sat up. She put her good arm around him and hugged him.

"Come on, tell me what's troubling you. I'll try to help you."

Ashitaka forced a wan smile for her.

"Can we talk about it in the morning?"

"Of course. For now, you should get some sleep."

Ashitaka nodded and got up, but San was still holding his hand. She smiled as he looked down at her.

"Where do you think you're going?"

Ashitaka made to respond when she pulled him on top of her with surprising force. She giggled and rubbed noses with him.

"My my Ashitaka, aren't you the bold one?"

"You're the one who pulled me onto you."

"Oh I see. Heap the blame on the forest princess."

"No, not at all."

"We'd best be quiet if we're going to cuddle up together. Do you get the impression we're doing this a lot lately."

"We are doing it quite a lot. Not that I mind sleeping with you."

Ashitaka and San cuddled down under the fur blankets. Over the forest, silence reigned, broken only by the phantom-like figure of a hunting Barn Owl. A few clouds scurried over the deep blue sky, which was studded with ten thousand stars. San's brothers both woke up and began howling to the sky, their eerie melody carrying all the way to Iron Town.


	14. Secret of the Princess 14

**Secret of the Princess**

**Chapter 14**

A week after Ashitaka had told San about his past, and Iron Town was making good progress against the samurai. Asano was now down to a third of his original number, even with Iron Town under siege. Jigo had made a surprise return, and was lending aid to the beleaguered villagers with his riflemen. Asano had Iron Town cut off, but still the villagers kept on attacking, trying desperately to force a gap in the samurai's ranks.

Chrysaetos stretched his wings as the sun rose. For nearly a week now, San and Ashitaka had done little in the way of fighting, and had spent nearly all their time relaxing. The tigers had slunk away into the forest to harass the samurai, and for now at least, peace reigned over the forest.

San sighed as she lowered herself carefully into the grass of the lush meadow she had often visited to hunt. Rich in wildflowers and untouched by other humans, it was a veritable paradise. Compared to the last few weeks, which had involved losing her right hand, discovering who she really was, and fighting against huge odds, this was as good as things got. She smiled as she lay in the meadow, looking up at the deep blue sky. Yakkuru was feeding on the edge of the meadow, and all around her, butterflies, bees and other insects flew from flower to flower. Crickets chirruped, and bird song from the forest made her feel drowsy, even after a full night's rest. Ashitaka came up to her and quietly lay beside her, smiling. San looked up at him, and caressed his cheek with her only hand.

"Isn't it lovely here Ashitaka?"

"Yes San, it certainly is. This is exactly what we're fighting for."

San nodded, but her smile faded ever so slightly.

"You know what happens tomorrow don't you?"

"Yes San, I do."

"We visit the pool of the Forest Spirit and see if the time is ripe yet to attack."

Ashitaka nodded and leant in towards her. San reached up and met him as he kissed her. San broke contact and looked into Ashitaka's dark eyes.

"I hope things will work out as best as possible."

Ashitaka nodded.

"They will San. I'll guarantee that."

San smiled and brushed herself down. Whilst she normally wore a white cloth tabard and a purple dress, today she was wearing something else altogether. Ashitaka had brought a faded red kimono for her during the winter months, but she hadn't seen fit to wear it yet. Somewhat hesitantly, she had agreed to try wearing it, and it was perfect for her small, somewhat skinny frame. It was decorated with bright pink and purple flowers, and green leafy vines ran all over the kimono. She wore a bright cyan obi around her waist, and she still wore her deer hide shoes. The crystal dagger still hung around her neck, and her knife was tucked away inside her obi. Ashitaka left her briefly to get her a drink, since lately, her wounded arm had been tormenting her. As he left the meadow, he felt a presence approaching him. The Forest Spirit approached him, and a flash of light lit the area. Ashitaka rubbed his eyes, but already the Forest Spirit was gone. He knew however, that he had to reach the pool that night, as the full moon came up.

On a dusty track, a young girl was making weary but steady progress towards Iron Town. Her brown hair was smeared with dirt, as was her face, and her clothes were ragged and torn even more than San's. She looked over her shoulder, praying that she wasn't still being followed. When she saw no signs of pursuit, she carried on towards the town, whose characteristic spire of smoke was now split into four.


	15. Secret of the Princess 15

**Secret of the Princess**

**Chapter 15**

Ashitaka and San reached the sacred pool of the Forest Spirit just as the sun set that evening. Although the land showed scars of the destruction that had been wrought on it not so long ago, the pool and island of the Forest Spirit retained a magical aura to them. San sat on a small sandy beach, and Ashitaka sat beside her. Her wolf brothers came up, and almost immediately, the distinctive sound of kodama clicking their heads came to their ears. Ashitaka and San watched in awed silence as the Forest Spirit approached and began to change into the Night Walker. A voice came to them from everywhere and nowhere at once.

"_Princess Mononoke, guardian of the forest, listen now, for your destiny has been chosen for you. The iron forge is trying to punch through the samurai. Whilst I do not take sides in your human wars, I shall advise this. You must appeal to the samurai sense of honour and challenge Asano to a duel. Only you must fight him, Princess. The fate of the forest rests on you._"

As the voice spoke, the moon crested the trees. It was hard to tell, but it looked off colour, slightly reddened almost. The voice spoke again.

"_The moon is stained the colour of blood. This night will see the death of many. Go forth, and ensure the safety of this forest._"

The Night Walker reared up and walked off. San nestled up to Ashitaka, her single hand tightening on her spear. Ashitaka took hold of his sword. The wolves stood up, and turned towards Iron Town, and howled at the reddened moon.

At Iron Town, Toki was taking time to bandage Koroku's wounds. She shook her head as she wrapped a white cloth around his shoulder.

"Really Koroku, I'd have thought you'd know better than to get in the way of an arrow. Even if the arrow WAS heading right for me."

Koroku sucked in his breath sharply.

"I couldn't let you get hurt Toki. Ever."

Toki had the grace to blush as she finished tying off his bandage. She kissed his cheek and smiled down at him.

"Come on you, let's push these samurai back."

Even reinforced by Jigo's men, the people of Iron Town could only hold the samurai in an ever-weakening stalemate. Slowly, the samurai were closing in on the bridge. Once they got to there, they'd be forced to shut the gate and snipe all night long. Koroku looked up.

"I wonder if that rabid wolf girl will show up."

Toki gave a snort of derision.

"I don't care if she does. Personally I hope Asano skins that wild forest brat. Ashitaka is wasted on the likes of her."

Suddenly, the blood-chilling howls of wolves echoed across the landscape. Both samurai and villagers stopped as Princess Mononoke emerged from the trees with Ashitaka. She was holding the same sword she'd fought Asano with before, having found it in the river. Asano plunged his sword through the chest of one of the defenders and turned to his daughter, smirking.

"Well well, the spawn returns to kill her parent. Not that I'm in any way surprised."

San glared at him.

"I didn't think you would be, father."

Asano's smile broadened.

"So, you've accepted that you're my child."

"I accepted that straight off. What I won't accept is you being in my forest!"

"Are you going to fight me San? You only have one hand as I remember."

San gave a scream of rage and ran at her father. Her vaguely blue blade clashed against Asano's russet red katana. For several minutes, only Asano and San moved. Out of the corner of his eye, Ashitaka saw someone moving, but didn't see what they were doing until the arrow was buried in San's back. A red fog covered her senses, and she dropped to the ground. He wasn't aware of running to San's limp form or tugging the sword out of her hand. All he was aware of was demonic rage that flowed through him like the water in a river. But even with his demonic powers, he lasted an even shorter amount of time against Asano than San had. He fell next to his forest princess, bleeding.

Jigo had watched both San and Ashitaka fight and lose, and knew that this could be the victory that decided the fate of the entire area, maybe even all of Japan. He took his scimitar out of its' sheath, a long, curved weapon tinged with green. He walked up to Asano, pushing samurai aside as he went. Asano looked to be overconfident, and smiled at the short, tubby man.

"Master Jigo."

"Lord Asano."

"You have stood in my way for the last time."

He gave a quick hand gesture, and a sniper took a shot at Jigo. With reflexes that defied his frame, Jigo dodged the arrow and watched it sail harmlessly wide. Asano gestured again, and this time an arrow was fired from a different angle. But again, Jigo's reflexes saved his life as he batted the arrow out of the air. He frowned at Asano as he held his scimitar ready. Asano gestured with both hands, and two arrows sped for Jigo's eyes. But the monk was too quick, and grabbed the arrows out of the air. Contemptuously he threw them aside, and exhaled loudly.

"Your snipers are strong Lord Asano. I see you're not above being sneaky."

"I've become more powerful than any warrior in Japan," Asano boasted. "Far more powerful than you!"

Jigo sniggered at Asano's statement.

"You still have much to learn."

Asano looked at the monk.

"It's obvious we cannot settle this with our knowledge of tactics," His red katana was drawn from its sheath. "But our skill in battle should end it."

He twirled the rust-red blade and stood ready. Jigo held his scimitar to his right, and just stood there. Asano ran at him, but Jigo leapt clean over him and slashed at the samurai lord. Asano parried his scimitar away with his blood-red katana, and a furious fight developed. Jigo shocked everyone with his stunning agility. But he made one too many cocky moves, and Asano ran the monk through. Jigo stumbled back, and picked up San's blue sword as well. Asano laughed as Jigo came back to attack him. His laugh was cut short as Jigo thrust his sword up into his heart. Asano died instantly, and Jigo fell over. The samurai panicked, and many committed ritual suicide. A few escaped, but most of them were killed by the people of Iron Town. Above them, the moon was stained the colour of blood, almost as if reflecting the battle that had been fought below.

It was morning when San came to. She was laid out on a bed, and realised in an instant she was in Iron Town. Snarling, she tried to rise, but saw she was tied to her bed. Several women were tending to her battle wounds. She began to curse at them.

"Stinking humans! Let me go! Where's Ashitaka? What have you done with him? You will pay for this!"

The women laughed at her, incensing her further. One tied a bandage over her mouth and the others finished their work.

"Ashitaka is just over there. Say please and…"

The women stopped taunting San as Ashitaka shook his head. They left the couple be, and Ashitaka's first move was to take San's gag off.

"How are you San?"

She shrugged.

"Better. Can you let me up from here please?"

Ashitaka nodded, and untied San enough to let her sit up. San put her hands down and pushed herself into a sitting position, then froze.

Her HANDS?

Almost as if scared, she shut her eyes tightly, raised her right forearm to in front of her face, and then slowly opened her eyes again. A perfectly healthy, white-skinned right hand had grown as repayment for her saving the forest. She gave a squeal of joy and dragged a temporarily deafened Ashitaka in for a hug.

"We did it Ashitaka! I've got my hand back!"

Ashitaka hugged her back, and then rubbed his ears.

"I'll say when I've got my hearing back. Really San."

San laughed.

"I'm sorry, it's just not every day I wake up to find I've grown a hand. Can't you let me up so we can leave?"

Ashitaka shook his head.

"Not yet. I'm waiting for something to be brought here."

San flopped down on the bed again.

"It had better be quick. You know I hate staying in human habitats."

Even as she finished talking, two women brought in a package and left. Ashitaka took hold of something small on the top, and brought it up to San's eye level. He opened his hand and showed her what he held.

"San? Will you marry me?"

San looked at him long and steady.

"I'd love to Ashitaka. Just don't humiliate me during the wedding."

Ashitaka smiled.

"Would I do that?"

San grimaced.

"Do you want an honest answer?"

San freed herself and lay down on the bed.

"Anyway, I'm sleepy now. We'll arrange a wedding time tomorrow Ashitaka."

She curled up and fell asleep in minutes. Ashitaka walked outside to find Eboshi, hoping something could be arranged for San. Soon the two were in deep conversation over the matter of San's wedding. Eboshi surprised Ashitaka in suggesting it should be something to smooth out her opinion of people, since she'd had few positive encounters with humans ever. As the day progressed, they had the final touches all sorted. All over Iron Town, fallen loved ones were being buried as well as the samurai. By dusk, San's wedding was all planned out for ten days time.


End file.
